About Me

Welcome to Blog Bites! I love writing and reading romance of all genres which is why I've created "In the Author Spotlight". That way you and I can find out who's out there and what more they have for use to dig our claws into.
Are you an author interested in being in the "Author Spotlight"? Shoot me an email at AnnLory@gmail.com for a spot.
Currently, I'm published in contemporary and paranormal. If you'd like to read excerpts and find out what's out, or what's in store for you please visit my website at www.annlory.com.

Where to Find Me

If you want to sign up for my newsletter you can email me as well. The newsletter goes out bi-monthly and is filled with:

* free reads

* sneak peeks

* author interviews

* contests

* & more.

COMING in APRIL

Sparks fly with not only the wicked slash of flying stakes, but with the heated passion the two try to deny. It's only a matter of time before the walls tumble down and Alyssa faces the truth: not all vampires are evil. But can she put aside her hate and surrender to Damian, for all eternity?

COMING in MAY

Marrying the enemy can be the sweetest torture...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

Jacques is determined to protect Kelly, but his new enemy—once a friend and a teacher—is older and stronger and Jacques will risk all to ensure Kelly remains forever his.

She is the light who will save his soul from darkness.

Marisa ran away from Brandon ten years ago, but now that she's back, he's determined she's going to see things his way...

BAIT and SWITCH

nominated for best contemporary romance 2009

A Las Vegas gigolo and an uptight lawyer from New York learn there's more to life than just business when they quite literally find love while "on the job"...

Jacob's wanted Sophie for several months now and with Christmas upon them, Jacob decides he's going to make his holiday wish come true.

AL: Hi Lacey! Thanks for being In the Author Spotlight this week. It’s the “Year of the Blog” and it’s going great!

LS: Thanks so much for having me, Ann!

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you.

LS: Well, let’s see… I’m getting ready for my third move in 18 months. That’s pretty exciting (and frustrating and annoying and… well, you get the idea). This time, I’m hoping it’ll be the last move for a good long time. My husband and I have been building a house, and it’ll be ready for us mid-May.

AL: You have a new release out, Nothing to Fear. Want to tell us about it?

LS: Sure! NOTHING TO FEAR is an omnibus; a collection of 3 erotic stories that share a common theme, available now at Loose Id. The stories all revolve around phobias, and the power of love to help overcome them.

AL: You write several different genres, which is your favorite to write in?

LS: I have a real fondness for fantasy. Epic fantasy is my first literary love, but it’s expanded to include the paranormal and urban fantasy genres as well. There’s something very appealing about the otherworldly, things that couldn’t possibly happen… or could they?

AL: What do you like best about writing? What is your least favorite thing about writing?

LS: I love the initial stages of beginning a new project. There’s so much potential in a new idea, y’know? I love exploring possible plot paths and learning about my characters. My least favorite thing about writing has to be the middle of the project. I tend to lose steam halfway through and new ideas always seem so much more exciting than whatever I’m working on at the time. So I have to push through and persevere, even though I’m convinced this is probably the worst thing to have ever been writing in the English language.

AL: Who inspired you to go after your dream of being a writer?

LS: I’ve been very lucky. My parents were tremendously supportive when I began to write stories as a child. English was always my favorite subject in school, and I had kind, encouraging teachers. Later, my husband became my champion, supporting me every step of the way. I’m not sure I could have become a published author without everyone rooting for me. I rely heavily on my support system, which now includes wonderful authors like Caitlyn Willows, Adrianna Dane, Beth Kery and Fiona Jayde. I’m very, very lucky.

AL: You’re the actress in a must see blockbuster movie that everyone’s been waiting all summer for. What’s the movie about? Who’s your character? And who’s your leading man?

LS: It’s a fantasy romance set in a magical kingdom. I’m a princess who moonlights as a royal spy, so be ready for lots of courtly intrigue and suspenseful battle scenes to go with the romance. My leading man is Karl Urban. *sigh*

AL: Do you have a top 5 actors list? You know that list of men that make you go yum, yum that would be inevitable, if only....I have mine and other readers have shared theirs with me. ☺

LS: Anything sweet. I’m a chocoholic, but I wouldn’t turn away an apple pie with warm vanilla ice cream if someone shoved one in front of me.

AL: Do you have a favorite sport, &/or team that you follow?

LS: No, I’m really not into sports at all. I am, however, a huge poker nut. I can tell you who won the World Series of Poker for the last 25 years (really!), and I’ve definitely got my favorites among the elite poker players.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

LS: “The first draft of anything is shit.”- Earnest Hemmingway

AL: Thank you so much Lacey for sharing your bits on Blog Bites. I hope you’ll come back and visit us.

LS: Of course! I had a great time – thanks so much for letting me play in your sandbox this week. :-)

AL: If you'd like to find out more about Lacey and her steamy reads please visit:

Three women haunted by horrors from their pasts. Four men who want to show them there’s Nothing to Fear...

In the AirIf Kirk Healey hadn’t threatened to steal her biggest client, Meadow Gardiner would never have boarded another plane. In flight, only Kirk’s smoldering touch keeps Meadow from succumbing to soul-numbing fear. As kisses lead to a frantic encounter in the airplane lavatory, Meadow must trust her greatest rival to see her safely back on solid ground.

In the DarkWhen a total blackout forces Shelly O’Rourke to face her paralyzing fear of the dark, she’s rescued from engulfing terror by the scorching caress (and occasional spanking!) of her estranged-and presumed dead-husband. Making love to a memory forces Shelly to confront her deepest fears...and some are just as menacing by the light of day.

In their ArmsJennifer Meehan has no qualms about taking two lovers. A long history of cruel betrayal has taught her that unbridled sex is the only way to guard her heart. But the men she’s been seeing separately have joined forces, and now the time has come to reveal all: her body, her soul, and every secret fear she harbors in her heart. Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual interaction, ménage (m/f/m), mild spanking.

EXCERPT:

The last time Meadow had boarded an airplane, she had been sixteen. Unlike this massive three-hundred-passenger jet, that aircraft had been a four-seater private plane with one pilot, no flight attendants, and only two additional passengers -- Meadow and her mother, Diane. Her father, John, had piloted, a celebratory maiden voyage after gaining his license. His first and last.

The recycled air flooding the cabin slipped beneath Meadow’s jacket sleeves and raised gooseflesh on her arms. She’d strapped the seat belt tight around her midsection, for all the good it would do her. She’d also listened to the flight attendant go through all the appropriate safety precautions, listening with rapt attention for every bit of advice she could use should the unthinkable happen again.

Now there was nothing left to do but sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.

Or in her case, sit ramrod straight, clutch the armrests as though her life depended on it -- which it well could -- and try to remember to breathe.

The plane’s engines growled beneath her feet. The sound traveled all the way up her legs and settled like lead in the pit of her stomach. She sat motionless, fingernails digging into the plastic armrest, teeth embedded in the soft flesh of her lower lip. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the inevitable lurching motion of the plane pulling away from the gate. When it came, a whimper escaped her throat.

“I bet you’re not wearing anything under that suit.”

The unashamed bluntness of Kirk’s statement yanked her thoughts from their hysterical downward spiral. She froze, breath lodged in her throat. “What did you say to me?”

His full lips quirked up in a teasing grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Instead of mirth, she found nothing but concern and a hint of predatory heat in the green depths.

He leaned in, his mouth close enough to brush her earlobe. “I said, I’m willing to bet you’re not wearing a bra. In fact, I’d go as far as to say you’ve got no panties on, either. Which would mean your pussy’s clamped tight around the fabric of those pants, moistening the surface just a little each time you shift in your seat.”

A sudden flutter of desire breezed through her, bringing back a small measure of self-control. She couldn’t believe he’d spoken the words aloud, much less in public.

She and Kirk were the only two passengers in a three-seat row close to the back of the plane. While chances of someone having overheard him were low, the forbidden thrill of his statement had a profound, immediate impact on her libido.

Her nipples pebbled beneath the thin shift she wore under the suit jacket. His guess had been half-right. She hadn’t bothered with a bra, preferring instead the silky smoothness of the leopard-print shift she’d picked out from among Cuero y Cordón’s delectable offerings.

Not that he needed to know that. And if she’d been just a little less paralyzed with fear, she’d have told him exactly what she thought of his inappropriate comment.

Instead, she scowled and glanced out the window. She shouldn’t have.

Although night had fallen, red, blue, and white lights flooded the airport runway. A few feet away, a man waved two flares, no doubt signaling the pilot in preparation for takeoff. Rain pattered against the metal skeleton of the aircraft and dotted the small windowpane with shimmering beads of colored water. Fog rose from the dark pavement in patches, reaching diaphanous tendrils to brush against the plane’s wings.

The wheels rolled to an abrupt stop. A massive rumbling whirr boomed from the bowels of the jet, gathering force. The trembling whine caused Meadow’s seat to vibrate, and she gripped the armrests tighter in an effort to keep them from shaking.

Her stomach lurched. Unable to bear the menacing sights around her, she squeezed her eyes shut once more. If she could have dared to let go of the armrests, she’d have clamped both palms over her ears too.

A featherlight touch against her collarbone startled her. She tensed, every muscle in her body taut with frightened awareness. His fingertips slid down her skin, from the base of her throat to the valley between her breasts, where they paused for the length of a stuttering heartbeat.

“What are you doing?” she ground out between gritted teeth.

“Touching you.”

The plane moved. It gathered speed, zoomed down the runway. She pictured it sliding along the slick pavement, its sharp nose intent on splitting the air as it soared up into the darkness.

His fingers dipped beneath the lapel of her suit jacket. He found the top edge of her camisole and slipped beneath that too. The heat of his hand warmed her breast, sending a stream of erotic impulses to flood her tense body.

His other hand worked its way up to her throat. He cupped the back of her neck, slipped his fingers among her curls, and formed small circles with his thumb against her skin.

Intriguing though it was, she knew his touch couldn’t distract her from the inevitable lurch of the plane taking off. She braced herself for the moment her stomach would plummet to her ankles.

It never came. Instead, at the exact instant the airplane’s wheels left the runway, his lips fused over hers. His mouth claimed hers and settled there, soft and warm. He didn’t push or force the kiss to become more than what it was -- a soothing, genuine anchor to the world dropping away into oblivion.

Meadow’s reality shifted, righting itself as the airplane tilted, rocketing skyward. Unable to trust herself, she curled her fingers into her palm to keep from running them down his chest.

At that moment, she understood what his plan had been all along. He’d meant to distract her, and against all reason, it had worked.

But now that they were in the air, she could handle the fear. She’d gotten over the worst of it. Besides, she couldn’t very well keep her lips flush against Kirk’s for the next eight hours. She had to move away, to break the connection between them, and reestablish some much-needed boundaries.

She told herself it was gratitude that kept her from doing just that. But when the tip of his tongue caressed the seam of her lips, the desire pulsing through her veins took on a life of its own. Rather than pull back, she parted her lips and met his tongue with hers.

A sharp stab of need arrowed deep between her thighs at the contact. Her sex pulsed, fluttering madly against the leopard-print silk of her thong.

She caught his answering groan. His grip on the back of her neck tightened, and he pulled her closer as his tongue invaded her mouth. The tension keeping her spine rigid melted just a fraction, allowing her to lean into his kiss.

He tasted just as she remembered, like cinnamon and male heat. The rough scrape of his beard against her chin sent another wave of longing to shimmer through her veins, stoking the twin flames of desire and curiosity.

What would it feel like to have those lips pressed against her flushed sex? To know the intimate brush of his beard along her inner thigh? To clamp her thighs tight around his head as his tongue delved deep within her folds and --

“Pillow, ma’am? Sir?”

She barely heard the flight attendant’s question. She’d have ignored it altogether, but Kirk swiped at her lower lip one last time before pulling back and glancing up at the woman.

“We’ll take two of those.” He reached out and grabbed the offered pillows. “And two more blankets, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Meadow’s lips hummed with the lingering sensation of the kiss. Flexing her stiff fingers, she risked letting go of the armrest long enough to bring them to her mouth. Just as she feared, her lips were swollen from the kiss.

A blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. Her heart pummeled her breastbone, yet Kirk looked as calm and unperturbed as ever.

For a fleeting moment, she had the urge to slap him, just to see if he’d react with something other than a quirky grin. Squelching the impulse, she waited until the flight attendant returned with the blankets. The woman’s name tag read Shelly O’Rourke. When Shelly winked before turning away to tend to another passenger’s needs, it took all of Meadow’s self-control to ignore her.

Shifting so her back lodged against the armrest, she folded her arms across her chest and pinned Kirk with a long stare. “You had no right to do that.”

He studied her face for what felt to her like an eternity. The heat of his gaze lingered on her skin as sure as if he’d touched her.

“I wanted to,” he said at last, his voice low and husky. “More importantly, you wanted me to.”

Lingering traces of panic whispered through her mind. To her surprise, the terror had lost some of its severity. “I didn’t ask you to --”

“You didn’t have to.”

He unfolded one of the blankets, then spread it out over her legs. He did the same to the second and laid it across his lap.

She’d just opened her mouth to say she wasn’t cold when the lights in the cabin dimmed.

“I think they want us to go to sleep.” He reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. His knuckles brushed against her cheek. “Do you want to go to sleep, Meadow?”

Infatuation is when you think he's as sexy asRobert Redford, as smart as Henry Kissinger,as noble as Ralph Nader, as funny as WoodyAllen, and as athletic as Jimmy Connors. Loveis when you realize that he's sexy as WoodyAllen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny asRalph Nader, as athletic as Henry Kissinger,and nothing like Robert Redford - but you lovehim anyway.

CONTEST INFO: Samantha is currently running a contest that will end on April 30 over at Author Island. She’s giving away an autographed set of the first three books in her very successful Forbidden Series!

AL: Hi Samantha! Thanks for being In the Author Spotlight this week. It’s the “Year of the Blog” and it’s going great!

SS: Seriously? It’s the “Year of the Blog”? I had no idea. I need to get out more. I’ve had my nose to the grindstone.

AL: LOL. No, it's just the "Year of the Blog" on my blog. I was a terrible blogger, but with the help of wonderful authors I'm getting good at it. So, tell us what’s happening with you.

SS: The next few months are going to be really hectic because I have a lot of travel planned. I’m afraid it’s going to feel like I’m living out of a suitcase! Most of the travel will be to various conventions, but my husband and I just booked a get-away to Napa Valley that I’m excited about. We both really enjoy wine and we have a modest cellar in our house that holds about 800 bottles. It’s been a couple years since we’ve gone away, just the two of us, on a tasting trip. We’re looking forward to a long, relaxed weekend filled with good food, wine, and lovin’. Ahh.

AL: Forbidden… Vampires, wolves, are their bears? Oh my! J Tell us about your newest release and this great series.

SS: LOL! No bears.

Forbidden: The Temptation is the fourth book in my Forbidden series and my first shape-shifter novel. Although it’s set in the Forbidden universe, it really does stand completely on it’s own.

The book’s hero, Jake Madison, is an irreverent, dirty-talkin’ cowboy from Texas who, in the past year, became a werewolf. The heroine, Allison Connelly, is a newly divorced forensic psychologist. They meet during a freak snowstorm. Allison is visiting Yosemite and when the storm kicks up, the bank of snow she’s standing on shears off and she’s plunged down into an icy ravine. Although Jake rescues her, Allison is no damsel in distress. She’s a kick-butt heroine. The chemistry between these two is off the charts, so there’s lots of hot sex. Oh, and somewhere in the mountains Roane Devlin, a rogue Were turned serial killer is lurking. When threatened by Roane, Jake realizes that whatever danger his inner beast may pose to Allison, there’s only one way to protect her—unleash it.

AL: Are you focusing right now just on the Forbidden series, or do you have other sensual tales in the works?

SS: I have a WWI historical under contract with Red Rose Publishing, but I don’t have a release date for that yet. Book 5 in the Forbidden series, Forbidden: The Sacrifice, will be out this fall.

AL: Out of all your stories do you have one that is more near and dear to your heart?

SS: I find that changes over time. My stories are special to me for different reasons. I feel like I grow as a writer with each and every book. If I had to pick one, I think it would be Shelter from the Storm. The hero in that book is a social worker that works for Child Protective Services. That’s what my husband does. Although there’s a bit of him in every hero that I write, there’s an awful lot of him in that particular one.

AL: You’re snowed in for a week in the Swiss Alps. You’ve enough firewood and food to get you through the blizzard waging outside. What are three things that you would have to have with you?

SS:My laptopMy iPhone with all my books on itBubble bath

AL: You’re the actress in a must see blockbuster movie that everyone’s been waiting all summer for. What’s the movie about? Who’s your character? And who’s your leading man?

SS: What a cool question! Something where I get to be smart, unravel a mystery, and kick bad-guy butt. Leading man? Clive Owens.

AL: What’s your all time favorite movie?

SS: Casablanca

AL: What music do you jam to, or relax to?

SS: I have pretty eclectic tastes in music. I don’t listen to music when I write, I find that really distracting. I always have the radio on in the car and enjoy listening to music at the gym or when I’m cooking. This morning I was listening to Frank Sinatra.

AL: If you could go anywhere in the world on a “sweethearts” vacation, where would you go?

SS: Paris. I’ve never been and that’s someplace I’ve always wanted to go.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

SS: “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” – Joseph Campbell

AL: Thank you so much Samantha for laying it all out on Blog Bites. I hope you’ll come back and share with us all again down the road.

SS: Thanks so much for having me, Ann. I’ve had a lot of fun!

AL: To find out more about Samantha and her sizzling reads, please visit:

A year ago, Jacob Madison got more than he bargained for during a rock-climbing trip to Yosemite. A freak accident left him badly injured, at the mercy of the elements—and the wolves who rescued him. If it hadn’t been for them, he’d be dead. He’d also still be human. Now he’s back, hoping to find out who he is and what he’s become. Instead, he finds smart, sexy Allison Connelly.

A forensic psychologist, Allison is newly divorced and proudly standing on her own two feet…until an unexpected storm shears off the snow bank she’s standing on. She plunges down an icy ravine, thinking she’s heading for oblivion. Then she lands in the arms of a tall, dark Texan. Jake.

Brought together by circumstance and bound by passion, secrets from their past threaten their future before it can begin. And somewhere in the mountains lurks a rogue Were turned serial killer. Whatever the danger Jake’s inner beast poses to Allison, there’s only one way to protect her—unleash it. Even if it costs him her love.

When I returned to the cabin Allison was standing in front of the stove, wearing the only dress shirt that I’d brought with me.

“The stew has a way to go yet before it’s hot.”

“It sure smells good, though. And that shirt looks far better on you than it does on me,” I said as I kicked the door shut, my arms filled with a half a dozen logs. I dropped them into the wood basket next to the hearth, then pulled my gloves off.

“You don’t mind?”

I tossed one of the logs onto the grate, added some tinder, and stirred the ashes below, blowing on them gently until the fire caught.

“Honestly? I would have preferred you stay naked and in my bed.” I toed off my runners and placed them on the hearth where the heat would dry them out. I unbuttoned, unzipped, and just as I was about to pull down my pants I looked up.

Allison turned around, averting her gaze as I stripped. I hung the jeans over the back of one of the chairs so that the wet legs were closest to the fire, then I slipped on a pair of sweatpants and walked over towards her, wearing only them and a t-shirt. “But barefoot, half naked, and in the kitchen works for me too.”

I snaked one hand around her waist, pulling her against me, wanting her to feel the effect that she had on me. I glanced over her shoulder into the pot of stew. “It’s starting to warm up.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “It should be ready any minute.”

I swept her hair over one shoulder and leaned down to nibble on her ear. “I’m ready now.”“I thought you liked it slow, Dallas. This is awfully fast.”

I could smell her arousal. She may have been expressing doubt, but her body wanted mine, that was a certainty that couldn’t be denied.

“You want me to stop?” I moved one hand to her breast and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“No,” Allison gasped. “No, I don’t want you to stop.”

She turned to face me. That’s when I noticed it, a gold chain dangling from her neck and on it a simple gold band. Her tits had distracted me earlier. I hadn’t noticed the ring when I had been undressing her, but I did now. It was a wedding ring.

“You’re married.” I released her.

It sounded like an accusation. I hadn’t meant it to.

Allison shook her head, then she walked around me, moving closer to the fire. “Divorced. It…ended badly.” She wrapped her arms around herself in what appeared to be a protective gesture.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and waited, wondering if she was going to tell me more. She didn’t.

“Last summer I worked on a divorce case that just about killed me,” I told her. “It was a mess. And the worst thing was that they used the kids to get to one another. I swore off divorce law after that. It’s not my cup of tea, watching people who used to be in love tearing one another down.”

Allison walked over to me. I placed my hands on her waist and pulled her closer, spreading my knees to accommodate her.

“And what kind of law is your cup of tea?”

“Criminal law, prosecution.”

“Keeping the world safe from bad guys by day and rescuing damsels in distress by night. You’re a real hero, Dallas,” she teased.

I reached behind me until I found the edge of the covers, then pulled them down and inched back.

“I probably deserve a reward of some kind. Don’t you think?”

There was a pretty obvious tent forming in my sweats and her eyes drifted down to it. She licked her lips.

“I’m not good at this. I’m out of practice,” she murmured, almost to herself. Her cheeks flushed and she started to turn away, unable to look me in the eye.

“I can help with that,” I offered, holding my hand out and encouraging her to climb onto the bed and straddle my hips. “Question is,” I added, cupping the side of her face so that I could gaze searchingly into those dark sable eyes, “how much help do you want?”

Allison smiled, then relaxed, placing her hands on my chest.

“How much you willing to give, Dallas?”

“Shucks, ma’am,” I teased, grinding myself into her pussy, “you ask me real nice, I’ll give this all to you.”

She looked past me, her expression clouded over with momentary indecision.

“You gonna be thinking about him?” I fingered the gold band that still hung from the chain around her neck.

“Would it matter?”

“Yes,” I admitted, much to my chagrin. “I guess I’m old fashioned that way.”

“He proposed to me on that bluff, right where the snow sheared off. This ring was supposed to be a symbol of his love and fidelity. In the end he gave me neither.”

The sadness in her voice was almost palpable. I felt the urge to tell her that I was sorry. Not sorry that it ended, it probably needed to end, sorry for the pain and disappointment. But before I could say anything she shook off the mood, pulled back her shoulders, and continued.

“Jake, I came here intending to throw the ring down into the ravine. Right now, I can assure you, I’m not thinking about anyone but you.”

I turned the necklace around until I could see the clasp. It was delicate with a small catch.“Were you going to keep the necklace?”

“No.”

I released the catch and the ring slid off the chain, onto the bed. Allison picked it up and placed it in my outstretched palm.

“As soon as the weather clears we’ll go back there, together,” I promised, reaching back to drop the necklace on the nightstand.

“And in the meantime?”

I slipped my hand around her neck and lowered her head towards mine before tracing the outline of her lush lips with the pad of my thumb.

“In the meantime…I’m going to explore this warm, wet mouth.”

The first kiss started tenuously, soft and slow, lips skimming over lips, uncertain. A little nibble, a flick of the tongue and she gasped, opening her mouth so that I could slide inside.

I laced my hands through her long, thick tresses to pull her head closer, make the kiss deeper. I wanted to savor it, savor her. Allison’s tongue responded as I stroked it, curling around mine, then pushing past my lips. She was taking what she wanted and I liked that.

She straddled my thighs, her palms flat on the mattress above my head, one on either side. My cock pressed into her taut stomach. She shifted slightly, her pussy grinding against my hipbone. I could feel her dampness and the anticipation of sinking inside of it, inside of her, was almost my undoing.

Allison broke off the kiss, breathing heavily, her tits rising and falling in time with each exhalation.

“I want to feel you, skin on skin,” I told her, reaching down with both hands.

“Don’t—”

She wasn’t quick enough. I tore through the lace panties, ripping them to shreds.

“Jake! Those were almost forty dollars!”

I lifted her off of me, then in one fluid motion I changed our positions. I wanted on top. I pulled the t-shirt over my head and stripped off my sweats.

“They were in my way.” I hooked one hand underneath her knee so that I could lift her leg and open her up nice and wide. As soon as I did, the tip of my cock found its target, velvety smooth and dripping with desire.

Before becoming a werewolf I would never have even considered having unprotected sex. Now, disease wasn’t an issue. I couldn’t catch a thing. Not even a common cold. And, another strange side effect, I’m only fertile for a couple months in the winter. The rest of the year I can get it up just fine, but I’m shooting blanks.

“God, I want you,” I groaned, silently rejoicing in the fact that despite the snowfall outside, this was spring.

“Wait!”

“Wait?”

“Couples who are about to…” She seemed to be searching for the right word.

“Fuck?” I interjected helpfully.

She frowned. “Have sex.”

That made me smile.“Say fuck,” I begged, letting the head of my dick slide up and down the length of her slick slit. “If you can’t say it, I’m not sure you should be doing it.”

In honor of Bait & Switch's release I'm going to have a CONTEST. For those of you that leave me a post I will draw a name and send the winner a book come this Friday, the 20th. So make sure to post. :-D

From Linden Bay Romance comes the tale of:One workaholic. One gigolo. One week in Sin City. You do the math…

Frisky Business, Book 1

Anna Jackson’s ex-boyfriend may have stolen her promotion, but she’s not mad. Not anymore. She’s getting even—by beating him at his own game. So what if she has to give up all her free time and any semblance of a personal life? With a partnership in a law firm as prestigious as Beckam, Beckam and Leland on the line, she’s willing to pay the price.

Las Vegas escort Devon McGuire is charming, sexy, and damn good at pleasing women. He’d better be, it’s what he gets paid for. Always up for a challenge, he’s looking forward to his newest job. Who wouldn’t enjoy a week as the companion of a smart, sultry, high-powered attorney—no strings attached?

Devon’s used to pushing boundaries, but there’s something about Anna that makes him want to turn up the steam. And when she learns to let go and unexpectedly opens to him, he finds himself falling right in.

Whoa, hold it. Love was never part of the plan…

Warning:This book contains a sizzling, drop-dead gorgeous, sex-on-a-stick gigolo who wants to make women’s fantasies come true, and a woman who won’t cooperate and let him do his job.

EXCERPT:Anna didn’t know what to do. Was she supposed to pay? Was he supposed to pay? She grabbed the bill, but his hand came down over hers. “I have this, Anna.”

She lowered her voice. “I don’t know the-” she was struggled to find the word, “etiquette in situations like this.” Good God, there had to be a better word, but that was all she could think of.

He grinned and winked at her. “Don’t worry, all of this is covered.”

The reality of this meal came crashing in on her. Not that she’d forgotten what he was exactly, but it just seemed so unreal. Her friends had apparently taken care of all the details and that included meals and any extracurricular activities.

Groaning, she grabbed her purse, jumping when he took her hand in his and placed it on his arm. She frowned at him. She didn’t want him to act like a gentleman. She didn’t want to like him. She wanted to be disgusted with him, but for some reason, she found that she really wasn’t.

Something about him was extremely appealing to her. Not to mention the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous. But there was also a kindness about him, a patience that most men didn’t have. She wondered if he’d been in the business so long that he’d perfected how to portray exactly what a woman wanted.

They took the elevator up to her floor and he walked her to her room. She knew he was chuckling at her as she hurriedly dove into her purse for the room key. With the card clutched in her hand, she cleared her throat nervously, and looked at him.

“Well, thank you for an…interesting evening, Devon. I’ll be busy all day tomorrow, but maybe we can get together the next day.”

He laughed and leaned in close, his hands coming up on either side of her head, trapping her against the wall.

She swallowed with great difficulty as his face came closer to hers, his breath fanning her cheek. Her mouth went dry, and she had to fight not to lick her lips.

“No, Anna. Janie supplied me with, as she put it, your…” his lips brushed her jaw, “…outlined,” her earlobe, “detailed,” his tongue swirled and he sucked the lobe between his lips. She felt herself quiver, her eyes closing briefly before he pulled away, gazing down at her, “Five times thought-out and approved schedule for this whole week.” His body moved in closer, brushing against hers. “I know that you have a meeting in the morning, one after lunch, and that you’ll be free for the rest of the day.”

His lips were so close. She stared wide-eyed at him, hoping he would kiss her, yet at the same time knowing that she shouldn’t want him to.

She licked her lips. Damn.

Finally he touched his mouth to hers. She had to fight not to moan as he deepened the kiss, his tongue probing for entrance. She obliged.

His delicious caress scorched her mouth, and she returned every sweep of his tongue with her own. His hands came down to grasp her arms, his body pushing into hers.

Nothing about him was soft. Every inch, every angle was hard, wreaking havoc on her senses. His hands still gripped her arms, running up and down their bare lengths until she finally caved in and wound them around his neck. Her hands went into his hair.

His knee moved between her legs, pressing into her, and she felt instant heat pool in her belly to settle in slick need at her juncture. He felt so delicious, all man, all male strength as he held her against the wall. She pushed her body against his and moaned.

He released her, slowly pulling away, but not before he placed another lingering kiss to her lips. She stared up at him through a haze, seeing his grin of smug male satisfaction, realizing he’d gotten what he wanted.

Her surrender to his kiss. Damn.

He tugged her close again, hugging her tightly around the waist, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Sweet dreams, Anna. I’ll see you tomorrow, here in your room, at five.”

He left her then and she watched, leaning against the wall, her legs still wobbly, as he walked back up the hall and disappeared around the corner. With trembling hands she unlocked her door, made her way shakily across the room and fell on the bed. Grabbing one of the pillows, she buried her face in it and groaned.

TK: Well at the moment, besides writing (I’m always writing). I’m playing Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. LOL I know, I know, I never grew out of video games. Hopefully I never will. I’m working on my TBR pile of books, which continues to grow and I’ve been doing a little modeling for a friend of mine, which was loads of fun.

AL: Wolves in space…paranormal bleeding into Sci-fi. Tell us more about Lilith Mercury Werewolf Hunter Series.

TK: Well, it’s not exactly wolves in space, but I suppose there are a few out there. The series begins with Red. In book one we learn that lycanthropy, the werewolf virus was engineered as a biological weapon on the planet Terra. This is where the whole story starts with a very brief sum up given by Lilith.

Some werewolves fled to Earth and The Hunters (an organization created to control the lycan population) followed.

Beyond that the story follows Lilith as she grows as both a woman and a Hunter. She has lots of tough decisions to make and she doesn’t always make the right one. But that’s what makes her still somewhat human to me and easier to relate to.

AL: Is this going to be an ongoing series?

TK: Absolutely. I have already written through book six and outlined through book ten. That doesn’t mean there won’t be more, that’s just as far as I’ve gotten.

AL: I noticed on your website that you have made a declaration that 10% of all your royalties for every book you write will go to St. Judes. That’s a wonderful thing and a great example of philanthropy. If I’m not prying too much, why is this organization so close to your heart?

TK: It’s hard to explain really. Well, maybe hard isn’t the right word. It just breaks my heart to think of children suffering. If I could spare anyone pain, it would be a child. I do what I can where I can. Like you say, it’s just close to my heart.

AL: What is the strangest source of writing inspiration you’ve ever had?

TK: Hmmm, that’s a good one. I have lots of strange sources. LOL I’m a strange person. But probably the weirdest was years ago. I was taking night classes at the time and on my way home (on a full moon) a large leaf, I think it was maple or something, blew across my windshield. I had to pull over to the side of the road and jot down my thoughts. It inspired me to write a short story, The Crow Lady, which was published later that year in a local anthology.

AL: What was the first book you ever wrote? Do you still have it? Is it published?

TK: The first novel I ever wrote was Red, book one in the Lilith Mercury Series.

AL: Can you describe yourself in 3 sentences or less?

TK: I don’t make excuses for who I used to be. I’m not afraid of who I am. I aspire to be more than I have become.

AL: Your Empress of the Space Station, describe your perfect man.

TK: Data. LOL Seriously, I’m a Trekkie and I’ve always had such a thing for Data.

AL: What favorite movie; or T.V. show makes you hunker down on the sofa and settle in for the night?

TK: Dexter. It’s gruesome, but severely addictive. I can’t wait for season four to start.

AL: You have just won five thousand dollars! But...you have to spend it all today. What will you buy?

TK: Hmm. If I had to spend it all today I’d pay some bills and give some to charity.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

TK: To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;For in that sleep of death what dreams may come – William Shakespeare

The time has come for Lilith to make a decision about the wolf pack and its leader the super sexy wolf king, Marco Barak. Will she become his queen and help him lead the pack? And if she does, where does that leave her relationship with Dracula?

EXCERPT:

“I warned you,” he breathed against my ear. “Allowing me such access can be very dangerous.”

He had not moved, however, his voice seemed to float from one ear to the other, tickling along my skin. Alek knew this trick too, but Alek wasn’t this sexy.

“I assure you, I am not trying to seduce you. In fact, I am withholding a great deal of my power. If I were to desire it, I could capture your mind,” he whispered. His voice flowed over me once again and I broke the contact, mentally and physically.

We were once again on the couch in my sitting room, and I was no longer touching Dracula. I looked around and realized by how much the candles had melted that we had been in contact for quite a while.

“Do not be afraid,” he said calmly.

I was already less apprehensive when his voice didn’t try to make love to me anymore.

“I would never take advantage of your invitation,” he said reasonably. “It takes practice to resist me.” He smiled and just that subtle curve of lips set me on fire.

“Well, I’ll work on it,” I panted.

“Perhaps it is the lack of sex,” he said. After the look I gave him he added, “Or perhaps it is none of my business.”

When I rose from the couch he followed me into the kitchen. My craving for chocolate had been eliminated, but I was dying of thirst. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked toward the refrigerator.

“Thank you,” he said softly. “I really do appreciate what you did. I know it seems a simple thing to be able to taste chocolate, but it is a pleasure I have long been denied.”

I turned back to him as I said, “I thought vampires lost their taste for food. Or, I should say their desire.”

He laughed. “You believe that? We all have things we miss. To some it might be wine, which I was also fond of, to others it might be a nice rare steak. The point is, we remember what it was like to experience these things. The ones who say how wonderful it is to be vampire and how they do not miss the human element are full of shit.”

Dracula followed me back into the sitting room while I laughed at his comment. Another thought occurred to me then. “Why did you come here tonight?”

I lit a few more candles around the room while I waited for his reply.

“Do I need a reason to see my partner?”

“No,” I answered with a smile, “But you always have one.”

“Yes.” He smiled and it made his eyes sparkle in a different way than his usual wicked grin. “I came to invite you to the opening of my club.”

Dracula had neglected to tell me when he began construction on his nightclub; however, I had heard it on the news. I just assumed he was waiting to surprise me once it was completed. I was right.

“I was wondering when you planned to tell me about that,” I said, as I took a water bottle from the fridge.

“My deepest apologies.” He smiled as he removed a small ivory envelope from his shirt. “I wanted to wait until it was finished before I mentioned it to you. Please do not think I have left you out. Yours is the first invitation I have extended, and the only one I will personally deliver.”

“Thank you,” I said as I took the envelope.

“Will you be coming?”

Another question with a double meaning.

“Yes, I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it.”

He smiled and I was once again grateful to have eyes.

“I have another surprise for you,” he said. “But this one I will save for opening night.”

My heart fluttered unpleasantly. I didn’t like waiting for anything. I also didn’t enjoy anticipation of some unknown event. For example, if someone says, “we need to talk,” I practically cringe on cue.

He read my expression. “It is not an unpleasant surprise, my angel,” he said softly. And then he kissed me. His lips were suddenly on mine and I couldn’t refuse him. Honestly, I didn’t want to. His kiss was unexpected and welcome. It was like being given a present you hadn’t expected. Dracula had had years to practice, and his kiss could be considered a work of art. He touched the right places, inspired the correct emotion. It was a dance, just as surely as if we were on a dance floor, and I responded. I let myself enjoy it thoroughly before I pulled away.

“You should go,” I whispered.

“Have I done something wrong?”

“It’s the wrong time of the month,” I lied.

“For whom?” he replied sarcastically.

“Go home, Vlad,” I said more firmly.

“As you wish.” He bowed slightly and headed for the door.

I followed him, and as he stepped onto the porch I couldn’t resist saying, “I’ll be thinking about you.”

“Be careful that you do not think too hard. You might slip into my mind. My mind is like a comfortable silk robe, easy to get into. But if you are not careful, you cannot untie the belt to remove it.”

“Oh, I don’t think we’ll be removing any belts this evening,” I teased.

And with that, I gently closed the door on his smiling face.

I wasn’t lying when I said I would be thinking about him. In fact, several hours later, I fell asleep thinking about him. But, I consoled myself by saying that I was only thinking. I would never cheat on Marco. Dracula had initiated the kiss, and that was not my fault. Although, I had enjoyed it. But let’s be honest, who wouldn’t enjoy a kiss from Dracula?

As I felt myself drifting closer toward theta brain waves, I continued to think about Dracula to avoid thinking about Peter. I didn’t want to have sad dreams, and I didn’t want to wake Alek and ask him to give me another dream. He had gone to bed before Dracula arrived, saying he didn’t feel well, and I wanted to let him rest.

So with visions of vampires dancing in my head, I finally fell asleep. This was a mistake.

Read an E-book week has been going on all week long. There have been many prizes given, great excerpts shared, and lots of author/reader participatoin. Samhain is holding a great contest in honor of Read an eBook Week with lots of great prizes still to be given (including some from yours truly). You can find out about the contest over on the Samhellion blog. www.thesamhellion.com. This will give a listing of what's going on for the day and other info. To join in on the fun you'll need to join by sending an email to samhaincafe-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

My time is tomorrow, Friday the 13th @ 7:00 p.m. Easter Time. So for you central standard buddies, aka: me too, be there at 6:00 p.m. LOL!

Hope to see all of you there. The more of you that are there, the more books I'll be giving away. WOWZERS! :-D

There's quite a bit going on this week. Samhain Publishing is celebrating read an ebook week this week. I will be offering a prize for those of you that come by. I will be offering a free book, Bait and Switch coming out this month.

My time slot is: Friday the 13th at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time

All week long, starting yesterday (oops) authors from Samhain and Linden Bay will be posting excerpts and giving away prizes. There is one big grand prize along with all the books and goodies being given out. An e-book reader. Wow! I know! To get in on the fun and all the great reads visit: samhaincafe-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

CONTEST:Everyone who posts a comment between now and March 15th, 2009, will be entered into a contest to win their choice of one of my backlist in PDF (ebook) format. On the 16th, I'll randomly select a winner from among the posts.

AL: Hi Elaine! Thanks for being In the Author Spotlight this week.

EC: Thanks so much for the opportunity, Ann.

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you. (This is just a brief in your life that has nothing to do with writing, or books you’re working on.)

EC: I’m fortunate to have been able to start writing full-time at the beginning of this year, so I spend most of my time in front of the computer. Otherwise, I hang out with my wonderful husband and our four adorable cats. I take a trip to the gym most days, go hiking every once in a while, and brew beer. I'm pretty boring, actually.

AL: Wizards, fae, barbarian warriors, oh my. Such a wonderful imagination. Are you like most writers, especially in fantasy, where your head’s in the clouds working on new tales?

EC: I’m not sure if my head’s in the clouds, but I certainly spend a lot of time thinking about whatever books or stories I’m working on. Working out at the gym is a particularly good time to listen to my iPod and let inspiration have its way with me.

AL: What do you have currently for us to read?

EC: I currently have eleven full-length novels, a novella, and several short stories available. My latest release is a short story, “Demonheart,” that’s sort of a reverse beauty-and-the-beast story. The heroine is a demon—a creature summoned from an alternate world—who falls in love with a human man from afar. She hides from him, so that he knows her only as a disembodied voice, which speaks to him when he’s alone on his balcony. Her fear is that, if he finds out what she really is, he’ll only see her as a monster instead of a woman.

For those readers in search of a bargain, my science fiction novel, Exile’s Burn, is available as a free download. Exile’s Burn tells the story of a telepathic stowaway on a ship full of space pirates. I like to think of it as “Babylon 5 meets Pirates of the Caribbean.” There is also a paperback version for sale. Both free download and links to buy can be found here: http://www.onecrow.net/ExilesBurn/exile.html

AL: Besides writing, what other things do you like to do in your spare time?

EC: I love to hike. I also spend a lot of time reading and surfing the internet. I also enjoy visiting microbreweries and discussing craft beer brewing.

AL: What is the strangest source of writing inspiration you’ve ever had?

EC: One day my husband and I were driving down the road, and passed a truck with a wheelchair in the back, and my husband said: “I wonder why they don’t call it a wheeled chair." For some reason, my brain clicked, and Duncan, the hero of Winter's Orphans, was born. At this point, I can't even imagine him not being in a wheelchair, as it's so much of his character, but it might not have happened that way if we hadn't driven past that particular truck.

AL: If you had to write yourself as a heroine, what kind of heroine would you be? What would you be named?

EC: Wow, that's a hard question. Out of the heroines I have written, the one most like me is probably Mina from Winter's Orphans, in that she swears, drinks, and is very decisive. In some ways she's my most flawed heroine, so make of that what you will.

I'm not nearly as violent as Mina, though.

A year or so back, I realized that all of my series have at least one character with an animal name (Owl, Fox, Rat, etc.), so statistically speaking, there's a good chance I'd have an animal name.

AL: Now to follow up with the last question, as the heroine of your book, why do you fall in love with the hero?

EC: The same reason I fall in love with them anyway! All of my heroes are "the good guys" because they have a real compassion that shows itself in a strong protective streak towards people and creatures that can't protect themselves. Pook of Prince of Ash and The Sundered Stone is the most obviously "heroic" in this way, ready to lay his life on the line for people he's never met, but it's there in all of them. Another thing they all have in common, that I find attractive, anyway, is that although they all have their flaws, once you really push them to the limit, you run up against a real core of inner strength. I'm not talking about the chest-beating illusion of strength that depends on what other people think about you, but the real "I know who I am and I will not yield" kind of character.

AL: Star Wars, Star Trek, or neither?

EC: Star Trek. I remember my family watching reruns of the original series when I was little, and The Next Generation came on TV when I was in high school. I’ve seen the original Star Wars trilogy, and even enjoyed the first two, but I was never really all that into them.

AL: What’s the best movie you’ve seen recently?

EC: That would be Coraline. Great story and fantastic creature design. I do wish we’d learned more about her friend Whyborn, though.

AL: You have just won five thousand dollars! But...you have to spend it all today. What will you buy?

EC: I'd probably spend it on books, good beer, and possibly some DVDs. I have simple needs.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

EC: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke. I see this as a call to action, and a reminder that if you see injustice and cruelty, to speak out against it, or else become complicit in it. It's a theme I've explored in a couple of my works, particularly Tyrant Moon, where the heroine is seeking redemption for not taking action when perhaps she should have.

AL: Thank you so much Elaine for sharing with us today.

EC: Thank you for inviting me, Ann! It was great fun!

AL: If you'd like to find out more about Elaine and all the fantastical books she has for you to read please visit:

Even though summoned by a king to protect his throne, demons have always remained apart from the humans they are compelled to serve. Famine, a young demon woman, burns with curiosity about the lives of the humans she watches from afar. Daffyd is a human scribe, who knows Famine only as a disembodied voice that speaks to him every night on his balcony. When a plot against the king threatens Daffyd’s life, can Famine win freedom for her people--and win the heart of a man whom she fears will see her only as a monster?

EXCERPT:

The next night, Famine flew straight to the balcony, alighting on a perch just above the doors. The shadows would hide her from the man's dull human eyes, and she wanted a closer look.

He was not there, and she feared that he would not come. The longing to see him again intensified to a sharp ache, and she wondered wildly what she would do if he didn't appear.A soft click heralded the opening of the doors, and a moment later he walked out.

Going to the balcony rail, he leaned on it heavily, his back to her. He bowed his head, and the line of his shoulders spoke eloquently of his despair.

His sadness hurt her deep inside, in a way she had never felt before. He was beautiful, and it did not seem right that anything so perfect should ever taste sorrow.

If only I could comfort him, she thought. If only I could speak to him.

Perhaps...perhaps I can.

The thought was so frightening that she almost flew away at once. Humans feared her kind. That fact had been drilled into her since her hatching. Why else did she spend every night hiding in the shadows, where they could not see her?

She could not speak to him.

"W-why do you grieve?" she asked.

Even though she had spoken barely above a hoarse whisper, he straightened sharply. "Who's there?"

"Don't turn around!" she cried, even though she wasn't certain he could have seen her in the darkness, even if he had been facing her. "I mean you no harm. I'm...I'm a ghost," she added, suddenly inspired.

"A ghost?" he asked, and she could hear the curiosity in his voice. But he did as she had told him and remained facing out toward the darkened city.

"Yes. I saw...I saw that you were sad. And I wondered why."

She thought at first that he wouldn't answer. She wondered if she had inadvertently frightened him anyway, and the thought made her heart shrivel in her chest. But at length he said, "My father died recently. I have grieved for him, but at the same time, I'm grieving for myself. I gave up much to make him proud, but as of late I've wondered about the price of my success."

Was he a noble, or a great warrior? Certainly he didn't look it. "Who are you?"

From her perch, she could just see enough of his face to catch his smile. "Dafydd of Perlance, court scribe and tutor to Her Royal Highness, Princess Indeg. Not the highest of positions, but enough to earn me a lovely--if haunted--balcony where I can at least look out on the world, if not walk in it. And who would you be, my lady ghost?"

"Famine," she said absently. His name rang in her blood. Dafydd.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Famine. As I have told you some small things about myself, perhaps you might do the same?"

She shrank further back into the shadows at the thought. What would she tell him?

For the first time, she saw herself as a human might. Her skin was blue-gray, not pale and soft. Her red hair was wild, tangled by the wind. Her eyes were too large, and yellow as lamps. And what human man would want to touch a woman with wings, horns, and a tail?

I can never let him see me. Never let him guess the truth.

"There is nothing to tell," she lied, even as her heart felt like it was breaking. "Your life is much more interesting, I'm sure. Tell me about Perlance--I've never been there."

He did as she asked, spinning tales of his childhood in the countryside. As he spoke, the place came to life for her: she could almost see the bright fields beneath the sun, smell the baking bread, feel the soft wool of a new-born lamb.

At last, however, he stopped. "I fear, my lady ghost, that I cannot speak with you all night, for I am still mortal and need my sleep," he said with a gentle smile. "But I hope that you will consent to speak with me again after sunset on the morrow."

Famine's heart leapt. Her beautiful Dafydd wanted to speak with her again. Or rather, he wanted to speak with what he believed to be a sympathetic spirit.

It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that I can never be open with him, that he can never see me. At least I can see him.

In the Author Spotlight & ContestKat BryanCONTEST: I love to hear from readers and friends so I’m offering a contest. The rules are simple. Just leave a comment on Ann’s blog about this post and after a week, I’ll draw a winner to receive a copy of Where The Rain Is Made. Please make sure to read a snippet of the latest review on “Rain” from Cheryl’s Book Nook listed after the blurb and excerpt at the end of my interview. It's one of my favorites. Don't forget to post in order for a chance to win.

AL: Hi Kat! Thanks for being In the Author Spotlight this week.

KB: Hello, Ann, and thanks for inviting me.

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you.

KB: I’ve been holed up for several months because of all the snow sweeping the country. I haven’t minded it at all this year. In fact, it’s afforded me time to read some terrific books and catch up on my writing.

KB: Well, that’s an ongoing process. I write under two names for seven publishing houses, so it never ends. Right now, I’m working on a sequel to Where The Rain Is Made, and another historical themed around a wickedly-decadent pirate and his lady.

AL: When did you know you had to be a writer?

KB: When I was in grade school, a teacher noticed my interest in reading and placed a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird on my desk. I took it home and devoured it, imaging myself as Scout. I fell in love with the characters, and felt the sultry, summer air, tasted the prejudice in that small town. I was hooked from that moment and knew I wanted to be a writer one day. Several years later, I graduated to Gone With The Wind and again fell in love with Scarlet O’Hara, a woman who could bring a man to his knees with one raised eyebrow.

AL: Who’s the author(s) that inspired you to write?

KB: Harper Lee, Margaret Mitchell, and I loved the husband and wife team who wrote under the pseudonym Laura London. My all-time fave book is Windflower by them. I’ve read it so many times, the pages are tattered and worn. Their writing is descriptive, their characters mesmerizing.

AL: If you could go anywhere in the world and write to your hearts delight, where would you go, what would your story be about and what is the title?

KB: I would go to a year-round warm climate so I could sit outside all day and write under the swaying palm tress. Although I write paranormal and historical, the first book I’d write would be titled “Paralegal Goes Crazy and Turns Romance Writer”. This, of course, would be a biography about me!

AL: You’re lady of the manor, describe your perfect man.

KB: Handsome, of course, but more importantly he must have a sense of humor, the ability to laugh at himself. We all want a hero who can slay dragons and laugh death in the face, but I want that, plus a man who laughs when he falls off his horse.

AL: Spring is around the corner. What is your favorite part about the season?

KB: Flowers . . . flowers and flowers. I love being outdoors and spend too much time digging in the dirt and admiring my flowers when I should be writing. I also spend time with my furry friends, a dog and a cat who are extremely devoted and loyal.

AL: You get to gorge on your favorite junk food without the fear of gaining a pound. What do you eat?

KB: I wish! My favorite foods are everything that’s loaded with calories; pizza, Italian cuisine, cheeseburgers, and an addiction that I succumb to much too often – coffee. I’m waiting for the day when someone discovers how to administer it IV for instant gratification (lol). I’m not very tall, so I have to watch my weight, but I’m not overweight. I guess I’m blessed in that regard.

AL: What's your favorite music?

KB: Right now, Sarah McLachlan, ABBA, Chris Isaak, but it depends on my mood. I also like Celtic and Scottish music. Claddaugh is one of my favorite groups. They sang one of the songs in Last of the Mohicans.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

KB: Ah, I have many, and I’m also a proverbs nut. Okay, here’s one of my favorite quotes: When you stop having dreams and ideals – well, you might as well stop altogether. ~ Marian Anderson.AL: Thank you so much Kat for sharing with us today.

Held captive by a decadent-looking savage, Francesca DuVall spends every waking moment planning an escape for her brother, Marsh. She never counted on falling in love with the man whose smoldering silver eyes cause her to tremble with unbridled passion.

Ethan Gray, the man, is a curator at a famous museum . . . most of the time. At other times, he’s Meko, a savage warrior hurled into the past to help his beloved people, the Cheyenne. Though their worlds are decades apart, Meko can’t resist the dark-haired, green-eyed beauty he kidnaps during a raid. A brutal, savage leader of the Dog Soldiers, he has many battles to fight to save his people, but none he wants to win more than the one that will capture Cesca’s heart forever. From the windswept plains of Colorado and the harsh life of a Dog Soldier to the placid life of a curator, their love was fueled passion and kindled by destiny.

EXCERPT:She’d never seen him so calm. Vapors rose from the water like a fine mist, sheathing his shoulders and head. He moved not an inch, and for a moment, she wondered if he was breathing.

He came toward her, slowly, the ripples circling her, beckoning her. “It will never be over between us.”

His words were so civil, delivered with such composure they threw her mind into total disorder. She stiffened her arm and thrust it before her, hoping it would be enough to hold him at bay. Still he advanced. He encircled her outstretched wrist with a gentle hand and pulled her to him, his breath warm against her wet skin. Drawing her head back, he bared her throat, delivering sweet, lingering kisses to the throbbing pulse in the center of her neck. His lips traveled along the creamy flesh of her shoulder before he claimed her mouth, fiercely, possessively. A hot flame clawed at her belly when he slipped one hand beneath the water and pressed it against the small of her back, pulling her closer . . . closer until she felt the full length of him against her. It was arousing and suddenly all desire to claw his face vanished; any shred of resistance she intended to use disappeared as quickly as the space between their bodies.

He kissed her again, his tongue probing the inside of her mouth and she clung to him, her legs wrapped around his hips beneath the water. When he pulled back, her breaths came in short, rapid bursts. She heard a moan and prayed it wasn’t hers. He cradled her in his arms as he pushed through the water again, back to where they came from, and laid her in the tall grass. A curse fell from his lips, spoken in Cheyenne, as he looked down at her. Events happened so fast, she couldn’t think. The soft beating of the drums, distant laughter, and the soothing sound of water trickling over rocks came to her through a fog.

REVIEW:First off let me start off my saying . . . I loved Where the Rain is Made! I predict this book to be a best seller. It is so good that words can’t describe it, but I will try. I enjoyed everyone from Cesca to Meko and everyone else in between. I read the electronic version and at three hundred plus pages, I sometimes have a hard time sitting for so long staring at a computer screen. I have to tell you that when I began reading this book I found myself glued to the seat. My husband ended up cooking dinner for me as I was engrossed in this book. Where the Rain is Made is a pleasure to read. There are not many books that come along like this one, but when they do, watch out. I am now on the hunt to read more books by K. Celeste Bryan. Reviewer for Cheryl's Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com